In 1939, the MS St. Louis, a ship carrying more than 900 refugees fleeing Nazi Germany, reached the coast of Florida. After a standoff, the U.S. refused to allow the ship's passengers to disembark, and they were returned to Europe — hundreds later perished.
Today, the Syrian Civil War has produced millions of similar refugees, caught between the horrors of Bashar Al-Assad and ISIS. With European efforts insufficient, the United States cannot repeat the mistakes of the past. President Obama must immediately issue an executive order that begins a process of admitting 100,000 Syrian refugees. Admitting these courageous and diverse individuals would make our country stronger.
Aylan Kurdi should have been in an American pre-school, not lying dead on a Turkish beach.
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